Law Office of Rita O. White - Criminal Law Attorney

Anyone who may be accused of a criminal act and have been arrested is inclined to feel scared or alone. If you have recently found yourself in this situation and are charged with a crime, you don't have to deal with it all alone. It is important to know who to contact during these difficult times and seek legal help from the Law Office of Rita O. White. Our criminal attorney has the years and knowledge to fight for any case. Our criminal defense lawyers can handle all types of criminal law cases, including: Drug crimes Violent crimes Sex crimes White collar crimes Juvenile crimes DUI Whether you’re facing a traffic infraction at the state level or have been arrested for a federal crime, the Law Office of Rita O. White will be prepared to litigate your case. Legal jargon may make it difficult to understand completely but our attorneys will serve as your advocates and offer you ongoing support throughout the entire process. We will fight so that you receive a fair trial, challenge any evidence that is illegally obtained, and make sure that your defense is presented as strongly as possible. We are the aggressive advocates you will need for any type of criminal defense. For any inquiries about our criminal law services and the types of cases we handle, contact us at our law office today to set up an initial case evaluation.

Judge OKs class-action settlement over Skechers

A federal judge approved a $40 million class-action settlement Monday between Skechers USA Inc. and consumers who bought toning shoes after ads made unfounded claims that the footwear would help people lose weight and strengthen muscles.
U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell in Louisville approved the deal, which covers more than 520,000 claims. About 1,000 people eligible for coverage by the settlement opted not to take part.
Those with approved claims will be able to get a maximum repayment for their purchase _ up to $80 per pair of Shape-Ups; $84 per pair of Resistance Runner shoes; up to $54 per pair of Podded Sole Shoes; and $40 per pair of Tone-Ups.
Russell also awarded $5 million for the attorneys in the case to split. Russell ordered that the money cannot come from the $40 million settlement fund set aside for consumers.
Two people that served as the lead plaintiffs in the case will receive payments of $2,500 each.
Russell considered multiple factors in deciding to approve the settlement and found it provides just compensation to the plaintiffs.

Court dismisses lawsuits in power plant deaths

The Colorado Court of Appeals has dismissed lawsuits against three companies in the deaths of five workers at a power plant in 2007.

The appeals court agreed Thursday with a judge that there was no evidence that the companies violated duties or failed to provide adequate warnings of a fire hazard.

The workers died after a fire broke out inside a pipeline at Xcel Energy's Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, about 40 miles west of Denver. The men were inside the pipeline resealing it at the time.

The workers were trapped in the tunnel when a flammable solvent they were using to clean an epoxy paint sprayer ignited on Oct. 2, 2007.

Families of the men and four injured employees sued KTA-Tator Inc., Structural Integrity Associates Inc. and Graco, Inc., claiming the companies were negligent.

The court, however, noted that the sprayer used by the workers carried a warning that "flammable fumes, such as solvent and paint fumes, in (a) work area can ignite or explode" and offered safety options.

The workers communicated by radio for 45 minutes with colleagues and rescue crews. But reaching them would have involved using ropes or ladders to go down a 20-foot vertical section of tunnel then along a 1,000-foot section at a 55-degree slope, to reach the horizontal section where they were located.

Court to mull Arizona's immigrant harboring ban

An appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday in Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's bid to let police enforce a minor section of the state's 2010 immigration law that prohibits the harboring of illegal immigrants.
The harboring ban was in effect from late July 2010 until U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled in September that it was trumped by federal law and barred police from enforcing it. Brewer has asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Bolton's ruling.
Brewer's lawyers argue the ban doesn't conflict with federal policies, is aimed at confronting crime and that the law's opponents haven't shown they have legal standing to challenge the prohibition. The governor's attorneys also say there's no evidence that the ban has been enforced against any people or organizations represented by a coalition of civil rights groups that have challenged the law in court.
The coalition has asked the appeals court to uphold Bolton's ruling, saying the state law is trumped by a federal harboring law that leaves no room for state regulation. The coalition also argues that Bolton has repeatedly confirmed that it has standing to challenge the harboring ban.
Another federal appeals court has barred authorities from enforcing similar harboring bans in Alabama and Georgia.

Craig W. Drummond - Civil Litigation

If you are a business, corporation or entity involved in a disagreement contact Craig to discuss your rights and options. Craig has a proven track record of successfully resolving disputes on behalf of businesses and corporations, including serving as local counsel to out of state law firms, handling disputes that arise with business transacted in Las Vegas, and working with enforcement and regulatory authorities to resolve civil issues. Craig has developed strategic relationships with some of the best specialty corporate attorneys in Las Vegas to work with to ensure that the client has the best possible team to fight their case.

http://www.drummondfirm.com/civil-litigation

Limits on class-action lawsuits at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court appeared divided Monday in two cases in which businesses are trying to make it harder for customers or investors to band together to sue them.

The justices heard arguments in appeals from biotech company Amgen Inc. and cable provider Comcast Corp. that seek to shut down class-action lawsuits against the businesses.

Amgen is fighting securities fraud claims that misstatements about two of its drugs used to treat anemia artificially inflated its stock price. Comcast is facing a lawsuit from customers who say the company's monopoly in parts of the Philadelphia area allowed it to raise prices unfairly.

Last year, the Supreme Court raised the bar for some class-action suits when it sided with Wal-Mart against up to 1.6 million of its female employees who complained of sex discrimination. In the Wal-Mart case, the court said there were too many women in too many jobs at the nation's largest private employer to wrap into one lawsuit.

Class actions increase pressure on businesses to settle suits because of the cost of defending them and the potential for very large judgments.

Connecticut pension funds that sued Amgen said lower courts correctly ruled that the case could move forward as a class action. The issue at the Supreme Court is whether the pension funds have to show at an early stage of the lawsuit that Amgen's claims about the safety and effectiveness of the drugs Aranesp and Epogen affected the stock price.

Several justices indicated they had no problem with the idea that, unlike in the Wal-Mart case, all the Amgen investors were in the same boat and could clear an early hurdle that tripped up the Wal-Mart employees.

Oregon Appeals Lawyer

Our attorneys at Coit & Associates, P.C. are experienced appellate advocates in criminal law, family law and administrative appeals.  Appeals for criminal convictions, stalking orders, restraining orders, custody cases or administrative decisions are a regular practice at Coit & Associates.

Our Oregon appellate lawyers will explain the appeal process in a no-nonsense and common sense fashion.  Our lawyers have successfully appealed cases in the Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Supreme Court and will work with you to achieve the best results.  Call today for a consultation with our appeal lawyers in our Portland or Eugene offices.  Our appeal attorneys will provide representation of appeal cases in Portland/Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Washington County, Linn County, Eugene/Lane County, Deschutes County and throughout many remaining counties of Oregon.

Our experienced attorneys will take care of your criminal case to the best of our ability, providing utmost care, attention to detail, and concern to your case. For more information on the criminal defense practice at Coit & Associates, read about us and our attorneys on the about page and attorney's profile page. Our attorneys are here to provide assistance to you after you have been charged with a criminal offense in the Eugene and Portland area. Call our firm today to set up an appointment to discuss your appeal matters.

For more information about your Oregon Appeal matter, please click on the following link: http://www.criminaldefenseoregon.com/practice-areas/appeals